Nova Southeastern cherishes J.D. Martinez's first All-Star Game

Nick Castellanos congratulates teammate J.D. Martinez on his solo home run against the Minnesota Twins on July 10. Martinez will play in his first All-Star Game on Tuesday. (Hannah Foslien / Getty Images)

Michael Mominey will take a break from his vacation to watch the All-Star Game. Brayan Valencia will have a barbecue with former teammates. Ryan Romero will watch with his father.

No matter where they are, though, Mominey, Valencia and Romero will each smile when J.D. Martinez plays in his first All-Star Game on Tuesday.

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During the midsummer classic, Martinez, the Detroit Tigers' slugger, will be introduced to a national audience. Yet Mominey, Valencia and Romero knew of Martinez's potential long before he reached the major leagues.

They saw Martinez become stronger and improve during his college career at Nova Southeastern. Martinez, who was a star for the Sharks for three years, became the first player in the school's history to become an All-Star after he was named a reserve for the American League.

Mominey, the former baseball coach at Nova Southeastern, said he will be full of pride when he watches Martinez play Tuesday. He congratulated Martinez last week in text messages, and the two reminisced about their time together at Nova Southeastern.

"It was big day for Nova Southeastern and South Florida baseball," said Mominey, now the athletic director at Nova Southeastern. "Being a South Florida kid, this doesn't happen all too often."

In his fifth year in the majors, Martinez, an outfielder, is a having a career season. Through 88 games, he leads the Tigers with 25 home runs and 59 RBI. He also has a .289 batting average and an on-base percentage of .347.

Martinez's Tigers teammate, pitcher David Price, has nicknamed him as Just Dingers Martinez.

"I always believed I could do it," Martinez told reporters last week in Seattle. "It's always been a dream of mine, and it's finally happened. It's awesome. It's a blessing from God, really."

Martinez, 27, grew up in Miami and played in high school at Flanagan. He led Flanagan to two consecutive state championships in 2005 and 2006. The Minnesota Twins selected him in the 36th round of the draft, but Martinez wanted to stay close to home and play in college.

"He used to tell me and others that he was going to play in the big leagues," Mominey said. "Some people took that the wrong way, but he always had that mindset and that he was going to fulfill his dreams."

Mominey said Martinez was one of the most determined players he ever coached. Mominey said it was his job to make sure Martinez improved his mental approach, whether at the plate or in the outfield. The two had several conversations away from the field.

"I felt he was going to figure that out, the physical side of it," Mominey said. "I just kept working on him as far as encouragement. I talked to him about how to be mentally tough."

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As a junior in 2009, Martinez led the Sharks to a school-record 37 wins. He hit 15 home runs and had a .428 batting average.

"His leadership was big," said Valencia, who was Martinez's teammate for three years. "He spoke his mind. When something wasn't going right, he wouldn't be ashamed to tell you right there in your face. He was a motivator for everybody."

The Houston Astros drafted him in the 20th round in 2009 and he made his major league debut two years later. Despite being a solid player in Houston, the Astros released Martinez during spring training last season.

Mominey said he was one of the first people Martinez called. Mominey told Martinez to trust his ability and his new, adjusted swing. A few weeks later, the Tigers signed Martinez.

Since then, Mominey has noticed how Martinez has become more studious, including a notebook of how each pitcher attempts to get him out. It has all led Martinez to Cincinnati and the All-Star Game.

"I'm going to take it all in," said Mominey, who will watch the game with his son, Tyler, who used to shag Martinez's balls during batting practice at Nova Southeastern. "It will be a proud, proud moment for me."